BBQ teams sought for Bama Brew and Que

Published: Thursday, October 10, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, October 9, 2013 at 11:46 p.m.

Professional and backyard barbecue teams will have a chance next month to compete in the inaugural Bama Brew and Que organized by the Young Professionals of Tuscaloosa.

Facts

Bama Brew and Que

What:Professional and backyard barbecue teams compete for cash and prizes.When: 6-10 p.m. Nov. 1 and 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Nov. 2.Where: Between the former Chevrolet lot and the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater on Jack Warner Parkway, at the end of Greensboro AvenueHow to register a team: Teams can sign up through Oct. 31. Registration costs from $250 to $300. Registration forms can be found by searching Bama Brew and Que on Facebook.

Hannah Lansdon, co-chair of Young Professionals of Tuscaloosa, said about 10 teams have signed up so far and she expects to have around 30 total.

"We have three professional teams signed up from Tuscaloosa and Northport," she said. "So far, all of them are Alabama teams, but we would love to get more local businesses to have a team."

The professional barbecue teams are ones that compete regularly for awards. For the Bama Brew and Que, they'll be able to cook chicken, ribs, pork and brisket. Backyard teams will be limited to cooking chicken or ribs.

"It is designed to bring teams from throughout Alabama and the Southeast to compete in a barbecue cooking contest, kind of like what you see on 'Pitmasters' on television," she said.

"BBQ Pitmasters" is a competition show that airs on Destination America. The show features well-known barbecue teams that compete for cash and prizes around the United States.

Lansdon said that, as of right now, she's not sure if any teams known from the show will be coming to the Bama Brew and Que.

The event is a Kansas City Barbeque Society-licensed event. Lansdon said organizers hope to make it a sanctioned event next year. KCBS, which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and enjoying barbecue, is the world's largest organization of barbecue and grilling enthusiasts, according to its website.

Teams can sign up through Oct. 31. Registration costs from $250 to $300, based on the equipment that teams plan to bring to the event.

Lansdon said the idea for the competition came from Jim Page, president of the West Alabama Chamber of Commerce. Page is from Decatur, where the Decatur BBQ, Blues and and Bluegrass festival is held every year.

"He thought it would be very fitting for Tuscaloosa," she said. "We are a tailgate community and it's an off-weekend (for Alabama football), so we thought it would fit in good this fall."

The Young Professionals of Tuscaloosa is an arm of the Chamber of Commerce made up of young professionals from 21 to 40 years old, Lansdon said. According to a news release, the nonprofit organization provides an outlet for volunteer information and creates opportunities to enrich the community.

Bama Brew and Que will bring in KCBS judges from around the state to judge the competition. At 4 p.m. on Saturday, the top 10 will be announced in each category. The top three will receive cash and prizes.

"We've got trophies with pigs, chickens and crystal balls," she said.

They wanted to give awards that made sense for a Tuscaloosa competition.

The festival will feature more than just barbecue with a kids zone, live music in the evenings, and beer and Pepsi tents planned for both days. Lansdon said it is up to the teams if they want to provide samples of their barbecue to the public.

Entry for the public is $5 and free for anyone under the age of 12. All of the proceeds from the event will go to Arts 'N Autism, The Arc of Tuscaloosa and Habitat for Humanity. All three charities will also provide volunteers for the event.

The festival will be held between the former Chevrolet lot and the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater on Jack Warner Parkway, at the end of Greensboro Avenue.

The festival will be open from 6 to 10 p.m. Nov. 1 and from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Nov. 2.

<p>Professional and backyard barbecue teams will have a chance next month to compete in the inaugural Bama Brew and Que organized by the Young Professionals of Tuscaloosa.</p><p>Hannah Lansdon, co-chair of Young Professionals of Tuscaloosa, said about 10 teams have signed up so far and she expects to have around 30 total. </p><p>"We have three professional teams signed up from Tuscaloosa and Northport," she said. "So far, all of them are Alabama teams, but we would love to get more local businesses to have a team."</p><p>The professional barbecue teams are ones that compete regularly for awards. For the Bama Brew and Que, they'll be able to cook chicken, ribs, pork and brisket. Backyard teams will be limited to cooking chicken or ribs. </p><p>"It is designed to bring teams from throughout Alabama and the Southeast to compete in a barbecue cooking contest, kind of like what you see on 'Pitmasters' on television," she said.</p><p>"BBQ Pitmasters" is a competition show that airs on Destination America. The show features well-known barbecue teams that compete for cash and prizes around the United States. </p><p>Lansdon said that, as of right now, she's not sure if any teams known from the show will be coming to the Bama Brew and Que. </p><p>The event is a Kansas City Barbeque Society-licensed event. Lansdon said organizers hope to make it a sanctioned event next year. KCBS, which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and enjoying barbecue, is the world's largest organization of barbecue and grilling enthusiasts, according to its website. </p><p>Teams can sign up through Oct. 31. Registration costs from $250 to $300, based on the equipment that teams plan to bring to the event. </p><p>Lansdon said the idea for the competition came from Jim Page, president of the West Alabama Chamber of Commerce. Page is from Decatur, where the Decatur BBQ, Blues and and Bluegrass festival is held every year. </p><p>"He thought it would be very fitting for Tuscaloosa," she said. "We are a tailgate community and it's an off-weekend (for Alabama football), so we thought it would fit in good this fall."</p><p>The Young Professionals of Tuscaloosa is an arm of the Chamber of Commerce made up of young professionals from 21 to 40 years old, Lansdon said. According to a news release, the nonprofit organization provides an outlet for volunteer information and creates opportunities to enrich the community. </p><p>Bama Brew and Que will bring in KCBS judges from around the state to judge the competition. At 4 p.m. on Saturday, the top 10 will be announced in each category. The top three will receive cash and prizes. </p><p>"We've got trophies with pigs, chickens and crystal balls," she said. </p><p>They wanted to give awards that made sense for a Tuscaloosa competition. </p><p>The festival will feature more than just barbecue with a kids zone, live music in the evenings, and beer and Pepsi tents planned for both days. Lansdon said it is up to the teams if they want to provide samples of their barbecue to the public. </p><p>Entry for the public is $5 and free for anyone under the age of 12. All of the proceeds from the event will go to Arts 'N Autism, The Arc of Tuscaloosa and Habitat for Humanity. All three charities will also provide volunteers for the event. </p><p>The festival will be held between the former Chevrolet lot and the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater on Jack Warner Parkway, at the end of Greensboro Avenue. </p><p>The festival will be open from 6 to 10 p.m. Nov. 1 and from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Nov. 2.</p><p>Reach Ashley Chaffin at ashley.chaffin@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0230.</p><center><p>****************</p><p><i>Reach Ashley Chaffin at <a href="mailto:ashley.chaffin@tuscaloosanews.com">Ashley.Chaffin@tuscaloosanews.com</a> or 205-722-0230.&nbsp;</i></p><p><div class="fb-like" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/tuscnews" data-send="false" data-layout="button_count" data-width="200" data-show-faces="false" data-font="tahoma"></div><i>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/tuscnews">Tuscaloosa News coverage on Facebook</a></i></p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/AshleyLChaffin" class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" data-size="large">Follow @AshleyLChaffin</a><script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script>&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?screen_name=AshleyLChaffin" class="twitter-mention-button" data-size="large" data-related="TuscaloosaNews">Tweet to @AshleyLChaffin</a><script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script></p></center>